Sri Lanka grapples with trauma, loss after deadly cyclone that killed hundreds

Search operations continue across South and Southeast Asia after deadly storms swept across large parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand left hundreds dead.

In Sri Lanka, the Kandy region where Alawathugoda is located has recorded 88 deaths - the highest in the South Asian country - with 150 people still missing. More than 20,000 people have been moved to 176 shelters set up to house them.

Across the country, 336 people remain missing and 1.2 million have been affected, officials said, as hundreds of army and police personnel combed through regions hit by landslides to retrieve bodies.

Authorities on Tuesday used bulldozers and backhoes to clear roads, removing mud and trees to create a path for food and fuel to reach affected areas.

Work was also underway to restore communication links and electricity, which was cut after strong winds snapped transmission lines, officials said.

About 3 km away from Nashra's home, another neighbourhood in the village also bore signs of being struck by landslides, with houses partially damaged and a tangled mess of phones, books, furniture, and clothes visible in the slush.

"They tell us to leave but where do we go? There is a temple nearby but there is only one bathroom for about 100 people. The facilities are not enough," said Manjula Jayalath, 43, a resident of the area.